With liberty and tradition for all

The promise and vision of our revolution was justice.

A right to a speedy and public trial, the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. Equal protection for all under the law.

The premise of conservatism is to uphold tradition, but tradition has no inherent morality, nor an interest in justice. When tradition maintains an unjust culture, such as some religious attitudes around the value of particular people, we fall away from the meaning of being an American.

Article VI, section 3, of our Constitution calls for no religious test to be required for any office, elected or appointed. But when the traditions supported by conservatives are based on certain religious viewpoints, we end up with judges who violate that call. We end up with unconstitutional judges.

We are still, as we were in the 1760s, 70s, 80s and 90s, a work in progress. Let us aim for justice in our legal, economic and educational settings, rather than status quo traditions.

Laura Twing

Tipton